How can I include mappings into Application.cfc from external property file?

Question

I have trouble with setting mappings in Application.cfc We have diverent Server (dev,QS,prod) Each with a little different Pathes. I want to set serverspecific pathes and variables via configuration file. On ApplicationStart you read the ini file and setup your system. http://www.raymondcamden.com/index.cfm/2005/8/26/ColdFusion-101-Config-Files-AGoGo This works fine.

Normaly you set mappings in Applcation.cfc like this:

<!--- in Application.cfc --->
<cfset this.mappings['/components'] = "D:\Inetpub\wwwroot\myApp\components">

Somewhere in a normal cfm File I instatiate a cfc named test via:

<cfset t = createObject("component", "components.test")>

I want to set the mappings only once at onApplicationsStart

<cffunction
    name="OnApplicationStart"
    access="public"
    returntype="boolean"
    output="false"
    hint="Fires when the application is first created.">

    <!---create structure to hold configuration settings--->
    <cfset ini = structNew()>
    <cfset ini.iniFile = expandPath("./ApplicationProperties.ini")>
    <cfset application.ini = ini>

    <!--- read ini file --->
    <cfset sections = getProfileSections(application.ini.iniFile)>

    <cfloop index="key" list="#sections.mappings#">
       <cfset this.mappings[key] = getProfileString(application.ini.iniFile, "mappings", key)>
    </cfloop>

But this don't work because this.mappings is empty and next request. :(

Putting this to OnRequestStart

<!--- read ini file --->
    <cfset sections = getProfileSections(application.ini.iniFile)>

    <cfloop index="key" list="#sections.mappings#">
       <cfset this.mappings[key] = getProfileString(application.ini.iniFile, "mappings", key)>
    </cfloop>

I get an error that the component can't be found. This is strange.

Putting the struct into Application scope

    <cfloop index="key" list="#sections.mappings#">
       <cfset APPLICATION.mappings[key] = getProfileString(application.ini.iniFile, "mappings", key)>
    </cfloop>

How to call my Component?

<cfset t = createObject("component", "application.components.test")>

Doesn't work.

So I have 3 targets.

1. reading all pathes and mappings from ini file
2. reading them once at ApplicationStart
3. easy usage in sourcecode.

Answer 1

Mappings can't be set in onApplicationStart(), they must be set in the pseudo constructor of Application.cfc, and they must be set on every request.

It's also important to note that the application scope is not available at this point, therefore if you need to cache anything you'll need to use the server scope. You can cache your mapping struct to the server scope and just set it into this.mappings each request.

<cfcomponent>
  <cfset this.name = "myapp" />

  <!--- not cached so create mappings --->
  <cfif NOT structKeyExists(server, "#this.name#_mappings")>
    <cfset iniFile = getDirectoryFromPath(getCurrentTemplatePath()) & "/ApplicationProperties.ini" />
    <cfset sections = getProfileSections(iniFile) />
    <cfset mappings = structnew() />
    <cfloop index="key" list="#sections.mappings#">
      <cfset mappings[key] = getProfileString(iniFile, "mappings", key)>
    </cfloop>
    <cfset server["#this.name#_mappings"] = mappings />
  </cfif>

  <!--- assign mappings from cached struct in server scope --->
  <cfset this.mappings = server["#this.name#_mappings"] />

  <cffunction name="onApplicationStart">
  <!--- other stuff here --->
  </cffunction>

</cfcomponent>

If you intend to keep you ini file in the webroot, you should make it a .cfm template and start it with a <cfabort>. It will work just the same but will not be readable

ApplicationProperties.ini.cfm

<cfabort>
[mappings]
/foo=c:/bar/foo